Building an online learning community : a major communication component of the virtual assistant certificate
Date
2004
Authors
Pederson, Beverly A
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2004
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to answer the question: "Should the Virtual Assistant
Certificate have a strong collaborative component interlaced throughout all the online
courses?" Three years ago a search of the Internet for more information as to whether
anyone was providing training in how to start and run a successful administrative
professional business from home lead to the discovery of a relatively new term: Virtual
Assistant. This Internet search showed a growing trend towards contracting to outside
office support specialists. Because the majority of Office Administration students are
female and because many of them see full-time employment and raising a family as
realities in their future, being "connected" from a distance to their place or places of work
would be ideal. Information obtained from experienced Virtual Assistants helped
determine the course content and gave a hint as to how the material should be delivered.
Although there were no journal articles specific to the topic of Virtual Assistants, it was
possible to perform a literature review on the topic of building collaborative online
learning communities-a delivery strategy recommended for successful online learners.
The instructors who would deliver the online courses were provided with training in
building collaborative online learning communities. Survey instruments were prepared
and administered part way through the first semester of the online courses to experienced
Virtual Assistants, online instructors, and online Virtual Assistant students. The results of
these surveys indicated that while the working Virtual Assistants and the online
instructors could see the benefits of collaboration, the online Virtual Assistant students
needed more experiences interacting in collaborative online learning communities in
order to become more successful in their online businesses.
Description
ix, 92 leaves ; 29 cm. --
Keywords
Office management -- Study and teaching , Office management -- Computer-assisted instruction , Office practice -- Study and teaching , Office practice -- Computer-assisted instruction , Education, Higher -- Computer-assisted instruction , Distance education , Computer-assisted instruction